Riffing on Fairy Tales: 25 Great Retellings

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Donna Maloy, Author

Where do you get your ideas? Every author gets asked that question after every book. Sometimes there is no easy answer. A character or a scene will suddenly appear and then a story weaves its way around until it becomes a book.

But sometimes the answer is rooted in a past where stories were handed along by word of mouth, not written down at all. Those old legends and stories have provided many modern writers with a rich narrative base, a wealth of timeless themes, and archetypal characters we never fail to recognize.

I’ve read quite a few amazing Young Adult books recently and some of the very best were retellings of stories I loved when I was a child – fairy tales. When I went to make a list of my favorite retellings, I found hundreds of books whose plots were riffs on familiar fantasy themes. Here, bunched up by author (the easiest way to do the research) are some I can enthusiastically recommend.

Favorite Retellings

A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth Bunce

A Curse Dark as Gold (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition)The gold thread promises Charlotte Miller a chance to save her family’s beloved woolen mill. It promises a future for her sister, jobs for her townsfolk, security against her grasping uncle — maybe even true love. To get the thread, Charlotte must strike a bargain with its maker, the mysterious Jack Spinner. But the gleam of gold conjures a shadowy past — secrets ensnaring generations of Millers. And Charlotte’s mill, her family, her love — what do those matter to a stranger who can spin straw into gold?
This is an award-winning and wholly original retelling of “Rumplestiltskin.” Winner, William C. Morris Award for best YA debut novel.

Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley

Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the BeastBeauty has never liked her nickname. She is thin and awkward; it is her two sisters who are the beautiful ones. But what she lacks in looks, she can perhaps make up for in courage. When her father comes home with the tale of an enchanted castle in the forest and the terrible promise he had to make to the Beast who lives there, Beauty knows she must go to the castle, a prisoner of her own free will. Her father protests that he will not let her go, but she answers, “Cannot a Beast be tamed?”

Spindle’s End by Robin McKinley

Spindle's EndAll the creatures of the forest and field and riverbank knew the infant was special. She was the princess, spirited away from the evil fairy Pernicia on her name-day. But the curse was cast: Rosie was fated to prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and fall into a poisoned sleep?a slumber from which no one would be able to rouse her.

Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley

Rose DaughterTwenty years ago , Robin McKinley dazzled readers with the power of her novel Beauty. Now this extraordinarily gifted novelist returns to the story of Beauty and the Beast with a fresh perspective, ingenuity, and mature insight. With Rose Daughter, she presents her finest and most deeply felt work–a compelling, richly imagined, and haunting exploration of the transformative power of love.

The Door in the Hedge by Robin McKinley

The Door in the HedgeMaster storyteller Robin McKinley here spins two new fairy tales and retells two cherished classics. All feature princesses touched with or by magic. There is Linadel, who lives in a kingdom next to Faerieland, where princesses are stolen away on their seventeenth birthdays-and Linadel’s seventeenth birthday is tomorrow. And Korah, whose brother is bewitched by the magical Golden Hind; now it is up to her to break the spell. Rana must turn to a talking frog to help save her kingdom from the evil Aliyander. And then there are the twelve princesses, enspelled to dance through the soles of their shoes every night…. These are tales to read with delight!

The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley

The Outlaws of SherwoodNew York Times bestselling author Robin McKinley’s vivid retelling of the classic story of Robin Hood breathes contemporary life into these beloved adventures-with Marian taking a pivotal role as one of Robin’s best archers. (IMO, not as good as some of her others.

Snow White and Rose Red by Patricia C. Wrede

Snow White and Rose RedSnow White and Rose Red live on the edge of the forest that conceals the elusive border of Faerie. They know enough about Faerie lands and mortal magic to be concerned when they find two human sorcerers setting spells near the border. And when the kindly, intelligent black bear wanders into their cottage some months later, they realize the connection between his plight and the sorcery they saw in the forest. This romantic version of the classic fairy tale features an updated introduction by its editor, Terri Windling.

Cinder: Book One in the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles Series #1)Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

The Curse Girl by Kate Avery Ellison

The Curse GirlWhen her father tries to steal magic from the cursed mansion outside her town, seventeen-year-old Bee is the one who becomes a prisoner of the “beast” who lives there. But the so-called monster, Will, isn’t anything like she expected. He’s the same age as she is, he doesn’t have claws or fangs … and contrary to the local legend, he’s really, really handsome. Well, maybe the whole “beast” thing is a metaphor, because he’s a total jerk. Bee’s only goal is to escape, but there are some major complications–like the fact that she has to break Will’s curse first. The witch who cursed Will left him a riddle to solve and an hourglass to track the time. And although she’d rather eat dirt than help Will, Bee has to work with him to figure out the riddle, or she’s going to remain a prisoner forever. As time goes on, Bee discovers there is more to Will than first meets the eye. She might even be falling in love with him. But the hourglass is almost empty, and they’re running out of time. Can they solve a baffling riddle and break the witch’s curse before everything is lost?

Crazy Beautiful by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Crazy BeautifulIn an explosion of his own making, Lucius blew his arms off. Now he has hooks. He chose hooks because they were cheaper. He chose hooks because he wouldn’t outgrow them so quickly. He chose hooks so that everyone would know he was different, so he would scare even himself. Then he meets Aurora. The hooks don’t scare her. They don’t keep her away. In fact, they don’t make any difference at all to her. But to Lucius, they mean everything. They remind him of the beast he is inside. Perhaps Aurora is his Beauty, destined to set his soul free from its suffering. Or maybe she’s just a girl who needs love just like he does.

The Once and Future King by T.H. White

Once and Future KingMy personal all-time favorite retelling. A masterful vision of the saga of King Arthur, a fantasy classic as legendary as Excalibur and Camelot, and a poignant story of adventure, romance, and magic that has enchanted readers for generations. Portions of this specific retelling were then retold as Camelot, the musical and as The Sword in the Stone, a Disney animated movie.

There were so many others I hadn’t read and couldn’t personally recommend, but I decided to include them just because. For example, Simon Pulse published a whole series of books that retold legends and fairy tales. Among those titles were:

Water Song: A Retelling of “The Frog Prince” (Once Upon a Time (Simon Pulse)) by Suzanne Weyn and Mahlon F. Craft

Sunlight and Shadow: A Retelling of “The Magic Flute” (Once Upon a Time (Simon Pulse)) by Cameron Dokey and Mahlon F. Craft

The Storyteller’s Daughter: A Retelling of “The Arabian Nights” (Once Upon a Time) by Cameron Dokey and Mahlon F. Craft

Snow: A Retelling of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (Once Upon a Time) by Tracy Lynn and Mahlon F. Craft (Oct 24, 2006)

Beauty Sleep: A Retelling of “Sleeping Beauty” (Once Upon a Time) by Cameron Dokey and Mahlon F. Craft (Oct 24, 2006)

Wild Orchid: A Retelling of “The Ballad of Mulan” (Once Upon a Time) by Cameron Dokey and Mahlon F. Craft

Golden: A Retelling of “Rapunzel” (Once Upon a Time) by Cameron Dokey and Mahlon F. Craft

Before Midnight: A Retelling of “Cinderella” (Once Upon a Time) by Cameron Dokey and Mahlon F. Craft (M

The Night Dance: A Retelling of “The Twelve Dancing Princesses” (Once Upon a Time) by Suzanne Weyn and Mahlon F. Craft

Midnight Pearls: A Retelling of “The Little Mermaid” (Once Upon a Time) by Debbie Viguié and Mahlon F. Craft

Belle: A Retelling of “Beauty and the Beast” (Once Upon a Time) by Cameron Dokey and Mahlon F. Craft (

The Rose Bride: A Retelling of “The White Bride and the Black Bride” (Once Upon a Time) by Nancy Holder and Mahlon F. Craft

The Crimson Thread: A Retelling of “Rumpelstiltskin” (Once Upon a Time) by Suzanne Weyn and Mahlon F. Craft

The Storyteller’s Daughter: A Retelling of “The Arabian Nights” (Once Upon a Time) [Mass Market Paperback] by Cameron Dokey

 

Other Sources, Other Lands

I haven’t read these, either, but wanted to show the breadth of stories and cultures that have been or could be mined for modern adaptations.

Legends of Vietnam: An Analysis and Retelling of 88 Tales by Nghia M. Vo

Tristin and Isolde: A Retelling of the Legend by Anne Kinsey

Tales of the Greek Heroes (Puffin Classics) by Roger Lancelyn Green and Rick Riordan

The Ramayana: A Modern Retelling of the Great Indian Epic by Ramesh Menon

Malay Folklore: A Contemporary Retelling by D. Ruse

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Monday Advice from Editors & Agents – Don’t Be “On the Nose”

Posted on August 13, 2012 by Donna Maloy, Author

In looking for a juicy bit of editorial advice for my Monday blog, I came across some notes from the 2010 SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) conference in New York. In these notes, Ingrid Sundberg gives the highlights of a presentation made by Ben Schrank, President and Publisher at Razorbill, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group. Schrank is also an author.

His advice on writing for teens included a list of common mistakes authors make. I could see the sense in every one but this:

  • “On the nose” introductions can kill an opening.

What in the heck does that even mean? Is it even a real term? Or did Schrank make it up?

 

What is “On the Nose” writing?

I had no idea how to avoid something I didn’t understand. So I did a search with Google and discovered a clean, clear definition in Quick Writing Tips by Allen R. Kates (MFAW, book editor, writing coach, ghostwriter, book producer, publisher). According to Kates, the term comes from movie and television writing, but applies equally well to fiction.

“When a piece of dialogue or description is “on the nose,” it means you are saying something that should be left unsaid because saying it ruins the mystery….

“A great tip: In books and movies, characters rarely say what they mean. This helps create mystery and suspense. Whenever you are tempted to write “on the nose,” try to say the opposite. Instead of having your character say “I love you,” have him say “I hate you,” even if the reader knows he’s lying, and see where your writing goes from there….

“What is the official definition of “on the nose?” The meaning is as plain as the nose on your face. Which means it’s boring, a cliché, it’s not entertaining. It may also mean that your dialogue stinks.”

Ouch!

Why avoid it?

I’m guessing that the dead-on-arrival introductions mentioned by Schrank include so much true and obvious information that there’s nothing left for the reader to discover. If I describe my heroine, Scarlet Smith, as having been in love with Rhett Jones her whole life, I’ve got a bucket load of TMI when I meet Rhett for the first time. There’s no nuance in Scarlet’s dialog, no mystery in her reactions to Rhett’s lines. They aren’t fascinating characters with unlimited possibilities. They have labels. And reader expectations. Now I could mess with those expectations and come up with a good story, but wouldn’t it be easier – and probably more successful – to start with a blank slate?

In other words, what we first conceal from the reader – and only gradually reveal through action – can make the story we tell much richer and more likely to hold a reader’s interest.

Another point: What a character conceals from other characters tells a lot about him or her. What a character conceals from himself tells even more.

Q: Have you ever revealed too much too soon in a story, and had to revise the opening to leave it out?

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Last words

Posted on August 11, 2012 by Donna Maloy, Author

It’s very, very late. You have to get up early in the morning. But the chapter you’re reading ends…

He grinned in delight. “Tell her I need her special talents and particular skills.” Then he snapped the phone shut and looked over at Perenelle Flamel. “It would have been so much easier if they had just given me the Codex. Now the Morrigan is coming. And you know what that means.”

No! you want to scream. I don’t know what that means but it scares me to death! And you turn the page. And keep reading.

That chapter ending was taken from The Alchemyst, by Michael Scott. It’s a perfect example of what writing instructors call “finishing the chapter with a hook.”

Evoking Fear

An ending like Scott’s – one that makes us afraid of whatever comes next – begs you to keep reading.  It usually leaves the protagonist facing some kind of peril or unknown challenge.

Here are a few more examples of chapter endings that do two things at once: 1) make us afraid to read on, and 2) make it impossible to stop reading.

Walking into study hall, my steps falter when I spot Xander and Angus in the back of the room. Cold prickles down my neck. They’re back. –Firelight, by Sophie Jordan

“It’s the Kalkara,“ Halt said grimly. “They have a new target and they’re hunting.” –The Ruins of Gorlan (Ranger’s Apprentice), by John Flanagan.

Something caught his eye. A white face at the window of the café. A frightened face, a face that knew something. The Hunter smiled. He had a Sighting. He was back on the Trail.

And later, at the end of another chapter in the same book…

Silhouetted against the lightning, still far away but with its sails flying in the howling wind, the huge Darke ship was cutting through the waves and heading toward the cottage. The Vengeance was coming. –Magyk, by Angie Sage

Turn the page? You better believe it!

Looking forward

Some chapters may end optimistically, often with the protagonist in bed at night, anticipating the next day. The success of such an ending depends on how invested the reader is in the protagonist’s hoped-for outcome.

Hopefully, twenty-four hours from now, my bond with Quince will be a distant memory. Brody will be mine before Monday. – Forgive My Fins, by Tera Lynn Childs

But many more chapters, especially those nearing the climax of the plot, end with a hopeless feeling that has the reader protesting, No, he can’t be dead! or No, there must be a way out!  Either reaction guarantees the page will be turned. No one wants to stop reading while the world is coming apart.

He found himself atop a large hill encircled by stones. In the middle were three dragons—wyverns, he corrected. Remembering Aunt Phil’s words, he jerked his gaze down before he could give offense. Even so, his quick glimpse had shown beasts so vast and terrible looking that he wanted to turn and run all the way back down the hill. Except his legs were shaking so badly, he didn’t think he’d make it. –The Wyverns’ Treasure, by R.L. LaFevers

Stunned, I lay upon the decaying earth, fingers clutching rotting leaves, a cold rain drenching me. As daylight faded I was entombed in a world darker than any night could bring. —Crispin, by Avi

“Only one girl has ever avoided choosing….” Turning, Donia caught Aislinn’s gaze and killed the hope that had crept into her voice. “She died.” –Wicked Lovely, by Melissa Marr

The question

Another type of chapter ending begs the reader to continue by asking important questions – ones neither the protagonist nor the reader can answer easily.

“I stared at him. Did he mean it? Could I save her? But… what would he do with my power? Nothing good. What a choice. What would River want me to do?” Darkness Falls, by Cate Tiernan

The varieties of specific questions are endless, but they all boil down to: What is going to happen next?

Humorous surprise

I like this kind of chapter ending, too. The kind that gives me a chuckle, especially if it’s a dark and dangerous book.  Any kind of humor will do, such as this near the end of a gruesome murder mystery.

“’I want a lawyer,’” said the lawyer. –The Chalk Girl, by Carol O’Connell

But the problem with this kind of ending? It puts me in a perfect mood to set the book down on the nightstand and take a break.

What’s your favorite chapter ending?

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First Lines

Posted on August 8, 2012 by Donna Maloy, Author

“A good first line should be as good as your favourite film quote. Something that even when taken out of context has power – the power to make someone laugh or think or gasp or grimace. The best opening lines, when read in the bookstore, can make or break the sale of a book arguably even more than its blurb.” Christopher Jackson in his blog post How to Write a Killer Opening.

Jackson goes on to say you’ll probably find that the best ones…

  • Are short and snappy
  • Immediately set the tone of the story
  • Quickly raise questions that you want answered
  • Hit you right between the eyes, often by being surprising or shocking

Bad first lines

Not all writers feel the need to be interesting on the first page. Have you ever opened a book to check it out and found a first sentence like this?

“Millions upon millions of years ago, when the continents were already formed and the principal features of the earth had been decided, there existed, then as now, one aspect of the world that dwarfed all others… (more of the same)… a mighty ocean, resting uneasily to the east of the largest continent, a restless ever-changing, gigantic body of water that would later be described as Pacific.”

Would you keep reading? That was James A. Michener’s opening to his novel Hawaii. Without his name on the cover, I don’t think I would have continued.

In her blog about first lines, Barbara Scott (a former Executive Acquisitions Editor for Abingdon Press fiction) offers the equally boring opening to Olive Kitteridge, by Elizabeth Strout.

“For many years Henry Kitteridge was a pharmacist in the next town over, driving every morning on snowy roads, or rainy roads, or summertime roads, when the wild raspberries show their new growth in brambles along the last section of town before he turned off to where the wider road led to the pharmacy. Retired now, he still wakes early and remembers how mornings used to be his favorites, as though the world were his secret, tires rumbling softly beneath him and the light emerging from the early fog, the brief sight of the bay off to his right, then the pines, tall and slender, and almost always he rode with the window partly open because he loved the smell of the pines and the heavy salt air, and in the winter he loved the smell of the cold.”

Scott says she fell asleep that night after she finished reading the first paragraph.

Good first lines

The editors of American Book Review compiled a list of the 100 Best First Lines of Novels.  It contains the oddball ones, like:

30. The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel. —William Gibson, Neuromancer (1984)

…the poignant, like:

52. We started dying before the snow, and like the snow, we continued to fall. —Louise Erdrich, Tracks (1988)

…and the startling ones, like:

8. It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. —George Orwell, 1984 (1949)

I have some favorite first lines from books on my YA Keeper shelf. If you’d like, I’ll share.

“I’ve confessed to everything and I’d like to be hanged.

Now, if you please.” –Chime, by Franny Billingsley

“I bear a deep red stain that runs from my left shoulder down to my right hip, a trail left by the herbwitch’s poison that my mother used to try to expel me from her womb. That I survived, according to the herbwitch, is no miracle but a sign I have been sired by the god of death himself.” – Grave Mercy, by Robin LaFevers

“In these dungeons the darkness was complete, but Katsa had a map in her mind.” –Graceling, by Kristin Cashore

“I wake up barefoot, standing on cold slate tiles. Looking dizzily down. I suck in a breath of icy air.

Above me are stars. Below me, the bronze statue of Colonel Wallingford makes me realize I’m seeing the quad from the peak of Smythe Hall, my dorm.” – White Cat, by Holly Black

“Death lived up to Jacob’s expectations.” – The Soulkeepers, by G. P. Ching

 ““You have to stop it, Kylie. You have to. Or this will happen to someone you love.”” –Awake at Dawn (Shadow Falls), by C. C. Hunter

“If I had to do it all over again, I would not have chosen this life. Then again, I’m not sure I ever had a choice.” –The False Prince, by Jennifer A. Nielsen

“My mother thinks I’m dead. Obviously I’m not dead, but it’s safer for her to think so.” – Legend, by Marie Lu

Fantastic, aren’t they? I wish I’d written them.

What are your favorite first lines?

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Monday Advice from Editors & Agents – Be Mean to Teens

Posted on August 6, 2012 by Donna Maloy, Author

Starting today, I’ll be blogging every Monday (or having guest bloggers in) to talk about advice from editors and agents – whether we followed the advice, disagreed with it, or tossed it out the window.

Being Mean to Your Main Character

At the 2009 SCBWI-IL Prairie Writer’s Day Conference, Nicholaus Eliopulos, editor at Scholastic, talked about writing for young adults. Nicholas, “who tends to do ‘guy’ books because he’s a guy editor,” had lots to say. I recommend reading the whole blog summary of his talk here but one of his gems of advice really made an impression on me. He said:

“You… need to be as mean to your main character as possible.”

I completely agree with this. It’s terrific advice for any kind of writing, from picture books to adult horror. Characters need to face incredible obstacles on their way to a happy, or resolved, ending. It may sound trite, but a good story really is all about the old adage, Conflict builds or breaks character.

Eliopulos’ advice is especially interesting to implement when you’re writing for young adults. Teens in high school have a low threshold for “mean.” Everything and everybody is out to make their life hell. That means they are – or feel they are – constantly battling the whole world. This makes for a character arc with sustained high drama.

Being mean to a teen

I’m currently updating the script for a play for middle school students. In brainstorming issues that face such students today, my production partners came up with many things that remain issues for many years past eighth grade, including (in alphabetical order):

  • Awareness of darkness/problems in the world; fear of dystopian futures
  • Bullying
  • Cheating
  • Diagnoses – ADD, ADHD, bipolar, OCD, etc.
  • Egos – both indestructible and fragile; embarrassment
  • Emotional highs and lows, anger, depression
  • Freedom
  • Grades
  • Hormones and The Opposite Gender
  • Interpersonal/communication skills
  • Money
  • Parents, divorce, abuse
  • Peer pressure
  • Personal appearance
  • Popularity/cliques
  • Sense of immediacy, breeding FOMO or Fear of Missing Out
  • The “reality” of reality TV

So many, many ways to be cruel to your teen protagonist!

I’d love to hear from you about the particular meanness you’ve hurled at your main character.

Posted in Characters, Conflict, Young Adult books, Young adults | Leave a comment